Pop star Ariana Grande has withdrawn from a planned London stage production and says she intends to take a break from public-facing work after completing her current tour.

Grande had been due to star alongside Jonathan Bailey in Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, which is scheduled to open at London's Barbican in summer 2027.

The production's team confirmed her departure on Sunday. It said the musical would still go ahead, with new casting details to be announced later.

"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support," the producers said in a statement. "We wish her nothing but the best."

Grande's representative told People that the singer plans to "step back from visibility" once her Eternal Sunshine Tour ends in London on September 1.

The representative said Grande was looking forward to finishing the tour but wanted a "much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances", which had brought "endless, ongoing public scrutiny".

The decision comes as public discussion around Grande's appearance and health has intensified online. Her representatives have not said that health concerns were the reason for her withdrawal from the musical, and Grande has previously spoken about the harm caused by comments about her body.

Her departure marks a change for a project that had attracted attention because of the reunion of Grande and Bailey, who appeared together in the Wicked films. The pair had been announced as the stars of the Sondheim musical in January, with the production directed by Marianne Elliott.

For Grande, the move also comes after a period of intense public exposure. Her performance as Glinda in Wicked earned her an Oscar nomination, while the film and its sequel kept her in the spotlight through a long run of interviews and promotional appearances.

She is also expected to appear in the comedy Focker-in-Law, alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, which is scheduled for release in November.

For now, Grande's focus appears to be on completing her tour before stepping away from the public eye. The London production of Sunday in the Park with George is expected to continue, with the producers promising to reveal its new casting in due course.